Content distribution platform

• US 8,363,618 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciright Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ciright Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Callahan, Joseph, Callahan, Brian, Handel, Florina
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin, Evens J
• Application Number:
  US12/201,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 705/64
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/00 Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied

Abstract

A system is adapted to manage the distribution of content to one or more cooperating media/substrates. The system receives data representative of environment conditions for one or more cooperating media/substrates adapted to display digital content. The media/substrates may be located in public spaces. The system compares the received data representative of environment conditions with selection criteria to identify content for distribution to the media/substrates. The selected content is distributed to the one or more cooperating media/substrates.

Claims

1. A content management and distribution system, comprising:

one or more computing processors; and

computing memory communicatively coupled with the one or more computing processors, the computing memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions that cause the content management and distribution system to perform operations, comprising;

selecting by the content management and distribution system based upon location of one or more display systems, physical limitations of the one or more display systems, and operating status of the one or more display systems, a set of selection criteria to be used in identifying information for display at the one or more display systems;

receiving by the content management and distribution system data representative of one or more environment conditions that is collected by one or more environment condition sensing devices operatively cooperating with the one or more display systems, the environment conditions comprising one or more physical conditions comprising;

a condition relating to commercial interaction with the one or more display systems comprising any of the length of time an object, person, or vehicle is positioned within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, the physical gestures of one or more persons that is positioned within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, the purchase of a product or service from a commercial facility that is predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, and the number of objects, vehicles, or persons passing by the one or more display systems, and

a condition relating to the weather within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems;

applying by the content management and distribution system the selected set of selection criteria and the data representative of environment conditions in querying content data residing on the data store to select content for distribution; and

communicating the selected content to one or more display systems.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the environment conditions comprise a count of one or more entities proximate a display system.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the environment conditions comprise a count of at least one entity comprising a human, animal, machine, and vehicle.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the environment conditions comprise the location of a display system.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the environment conditions proximate a display system are received at scheduled intervals.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to instruct the content management and distribution system to perform operations, comprising:

storing data representative of environment conditions in relation to identifiers for the one or more display systems.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the selection criteria specifying values comprise:

the number of persons passing the display system;

the number of vehicles passing the display system;

weather conditions proximate the display system;

a location of an electronic device;

or commercial activity proximate an electronic device.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one instruction for tracking content that is distributed to the one or more display system and storing data representative of the tracked content.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising at least one instruction for generating reporting data from the data representative of the tracked content.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more display systems are adapted to receive content according to one or more instructions provided by the content management and distribution system and display the received content.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more display systems further comprise at least one sensor for sensing environment conditions proximate to the display systems.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor for sensing environment conditions is adapted to sense data indicative of at least one of the following comprising:

a number of persons passing by, a number of vehicles passing by, weather conditions, a location, and commercial activity.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more display systems comprises a display for displaying content.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the display systems comprise at least one of the following:

a light emitting diode display, a liquid crystal display, a surface having organic paint thereon, or a surface having recyclable paint thereon.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the display is adapted to electronically receive content from the content management and distribution system.

16. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein of the one or more display systems comprise a display adapted to display content, an environment condition data aggregator adapted to sense environment conditions proximate the display system;

a communications component adapted to communicate with the content management and distribution system; and

a data store.

17. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more display systems are adapted to receive input from an operator, the input comprising at least one of the following:

voice;

text;

biometric data;

payment data;

identification data.

18. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more data stores operable to store data comprising at least one of the following:

content for distribution;

guidelines for distributing content;

tracking data identifying content previously distributed;

or

reporting data.

19. A computer implemented method for managing and/or distributing content, comprising:

at a computing system selecting based upon location of one or more display systems, physical limitations of the one or more display systems, and operating status of the one or more display systems, a set of selection criteria to be used in identifying information for display at the one or more display systems;

at the computing system, receiving data representative of one or more environment conditions that is collected by one or more environment condition sensing services operatively cooperating with the one or more cooperating display systems, the environment conditions comprising one or more physical conditions comprising;

a condition relating to commercial interaction with the one or more display systems comprising any of the length of time an object, person, or vehicle is positioned within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, the physical gestures of one or more persons that is positioned within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, the purchase of a product or service from a commercial facility that is predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, and the number of objects, vehicles, or persons passing by the one or more display systems, and

a condition relating to the weather within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems;

at the computing system, comparing the received data representative of environment conditions with selected selection criteria to select content for distribution; and

at the computing system, communicating the selected content to the one or more cooperating display systems.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising associating an identifier with each of the one or more cooperating display systems.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein receiving data representative of one or more environment conditions of one or more cooperating display systems comprises receiving data corresponding to traffic in the vicinity of the one or more display systems.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising receiving selection criteria from a cooperating content provider.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising tracking the content that is distributed to the one or more cooperating display systems and storing the data representative of the tracked content.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising generating reporting data from the data representative of the tracked content.

25. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein receiving data representative of environment conditions comprises receiving data representative of environment conditions according to a schedule.

26. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computing system cause the computing system to perform operations, comprising:

at a computing system selecting based upon location of one or more display systems, physical limitations of the one or more display systems, and operating status of the one or more display systems, a set of selection criteria to be used in identifying information for display at the one or more display systems;

at a computing system, receiving data representative of one or more environment conditions that is collected by one or more environment condition sensing devices operatively cooperating with the one or more cooperating display systems, the environment conditions comprising one or more physical conditions comprising;

a condition relating to commercial interaction with the one or more display systems comprising any of the length of time an object, person, or vehicle is positioned within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, the physical gestures of one or more persons that is positioned within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, the purchase of a product or service from a commercial facility that is predetermined distance from the one or more display systems, and the number of objects, vehicles, or persons passing by the one or more display systems, and

a condition relating to the weather within a predetermined distance from the one or more display systems;

at the computing system, comparing the received environment condition data with one or more environment condition criteria to select content for distribution; and

at the computing system, communicating the selected content to the one or more cooperating display systems.